In His Pocket
by sdl64533
Summary: Set after the end of the film The Secret of Moonacre in filmverse: Robin carries more than just Maria's hair ribbon in his pocket, little does he know.
1. Part One

Part One

When Robin Denoir was ten and nine years he met the girl he wanted to marry. Unfortunately for him she was not only a Merryweather, but she was also six years younger than he. Even in the rural Moonacre Valley six years difference between people so young was taboo, never mind the fact that his family and hers had hated each other for three hundred years.

The young girl had proved herself to be an extraordinary young woman as the little Moon Princess. She had saved them from the curse. Near the end, as soon as he had figured out what she meant to do-to sacrifice herself to shake everyone out of the web of stubborn pride that held them-he had tried to run to her. He'd meant to stop her and save her life, even if it meant doom for the entire valley. The moment that she had rashly jumped off of a cliff to save all of Moonacre, both her family and the Denoir clan, he had felt his heart jump with her. He had watched her fall into the ocean and only his father's firm grip on him had kept him from trying to climb down the cliff face. He'd thought his life was over for a few moments. She had been saved by a unicorn, a unicorn gifted to her family from his ancestor three hundred years ago. He'd never been so grateful for anything in his entire life.

She'd had the nerve, the audacity, to ask him if he'd been worried. He felt she deserved an unfair answer since it had been an unfair question-but later he had regretted not telling her what she meant to him. He doubted he'd have another chance like it, another opportune moment to tell her how he truly felt without sounding...

He sighed. He knew he would just have to wait until she was older to court her. It had been a years since then so he was still waiting. He could be her suitor; it would only be four more years before it would be acceptable.

From his perch in a tall tree he watched the little moon princess, Maria Merryweather, enter the woods. She was going to spend time in the hollow beneath the tree where the moon pearls had been hidden. She did that often enough now. He suspected it gave her time to herself, time alone to reflect and think. As he always did when she entered the woods he followed her discreetly, quietly. He hated to guess what she or anyone else would think of this habit. Truly he just wanted to keep watch over her and protect her. He thought, though he couldn't be sure, that his father had given up any intention to kill her since she had already broken the curse upon the valley. Still, it was not in his nature to take that large of a chance with her life.

So, he watched over her when she was in his woods.

Maria Merryweather ventured into the woods. Robin was not nearly as stealthy as he thought himself to be. She knew he kept an eye on her and she could guess why. She didn't doubt his friendship though she did doubt his father's allegedly good intentions now that the curse was broken.

Pausing outside the tree that contained Hideaway Hollow, as she had decided to name it, she waited for him to catch up-rather than going inside as she had always done before. It wasn't long before Robin appeared, caught off guard by the fact that she had not immediately disappeared inside the hollow beneath the tree.

"Hello, Maria," he called out, knowing he'd been caught. She studied him and could see on his face that he was struggling to come up with a good story.

"I know you always follow me," Maria said, cutting off his train of thought, "But I wanted you to come inside this time. I never minded you watching over me, but I want to talk to you. You can keep an eye on my just as easily by walking with me as you can walking behind me."

Maria couldn't help but to tease him a little. He didn't say anything as he approached her, though she thought his cheeks might have been a bit pinker than usual. The two of them entered the hollow, more calmly this time than the last time. Robin looked around, surprised, and wondered how much of the improvements in this place were Maria's doing and how much of it was magic unfettered by her breaking the curse. He knew that with the curse broken his own family home had begun repairing itself, even redecorating in some places, and he expected the same was true elsewhere.

The free magic had brightened the room and done some redecorating as well. The bed had grown into a four-tree bed, reminiscent of a four-poster bed except the four posts were actually skinny sapling trees. Even for someone as used to magic as Robin was it struck him as being amazing and beautiful.

"I started cleaning it," Maria confessed, "But then it just started taking care of itself." She glanced at him and he realized she was not so used to the magic of the valley that this was commonplace.

"Moonacre Valley was always a magical place. The reason everything was falling apart, dusty, and not taken care of was because the magic was diminishing-a result of the curse. When you broke the curse you healed the magic of the valley," Robin explained.

"I thought as much," Maria said, more confident now, "But I wanted someone to tell me it was true."

Robin smiled, "Hasn't your home been redecorating itself as well?"

"No, it looks newer every day, but it hasn't redecorated much," she paused, "Then again, most of the manor was off limits when I first arrived so it may have changed and I wouldn't know the difference." Robin grasped the sapling closest to him and let himself hang from it while he watched her. She watched him, too. She looked somewhat nervous, especially when he smiled at her.

"Well," he said, drawing the word out, "You said you wanted to talk, Maria."

"Yes," she said, eyeing him, "I do want to talk."

"I'm listening," he said, and felt a pang in his chest. He remembered he'd said that before.

Maria smiled, "You are a very good listener, Robin. You were the first person who ever listened to me." He looked at her, surprised by how solemn and sad that sentence was beneath her smile.

"First I want to apologize, and to thank you," she began, "I doubted you and I believed for a moment that you had betrayed me."

His face went blank. He had no idea what she was talking about and Maria could tell.

"When I ran into you," she said, and his expression grew more confused, "I hit you. It was right before you held a knife to your father's throat."

"Oh!" Robin said, "That." He shrugged.

"I wanted to apologize for that moment and for hitting you when you were trying to help me," she said, her eyes suddenly downcast. Robin felt itchy listening to the apology.

"You don't need to apologize for that," he said, "It was natural to think I had turned on you. I hadn't exactly proven myself to you, yet."

Maria looked up again, "Be that as it may, I did want to apologize. You did the right thing-you did prove yourself then-and if there is ever a next time I will give you the benefit of the doubt. Also, I wanted to thank you for listening and for helping me when I needed you. I could not have done it without you."

Robin really felt uncomfortable, "If I had known you were going to end up throwing yourself off of a cliff," he grumbled, "I may not have helped you find those blasted pearls."

Maria's slight smile blossomed across her face, "I knew you were worried."

He rolled his eyes and made a scoffing sound.

"Thank you," Maria said solemnly. She leaned in, surprising him, and laid the most gentle and delicate of kisses on the corner of his mouth. Robin went completely still, afraid even to breathe. She pulled back slowly, watching his face carefully.

They stared at each other like that for a moment that seemed impossibly long.

"Was that all?" Robin finally said, amazed at the fact that his voice nearly normal. Maria's brow wrinkled and she frowned. Robin watched her, afraid for a moment that she was upset with him.

"I also wanted to ask you about your father," Maria told him, walking around the bed so that he had to let go of the small tree and turn toward her. They stared at each other across the bed.

"What about him?" Robin said, trying to ignore the bed. Maria sat down on the bed, turning toward him and settling her skirts.

"He meant to kill me at one point. He says I can trust him now but..." Maria's voice trailed off.

"But he meant to kill you not that long ago," Robin filled in, "And that's not something you should forget."

"So," Maria looked upset, "You don't think I should trust him?" It felt hard to frown when she'd kissed him only a moment ago, but Robin's face became grim.

"I'm going to be keeping an eye on him for a while and I think it would be wise if you didn't let your guard down. I wouldn't reject his apologies or his kindness, but..." Robin shrugged, "Even when he likes you he is a person to be wary of."

Maria nodded, her resolve strengthened, "Thank you, Robin. I knew you I could count on you."

"Do you know anything about the negotiations between your Uncle and my father?" Robin asked.

Maria sighed, "Only that they aren't going well. Half of our villagers are ill and your community has the resources to make the medicine."

Robin hoped he wouldn't offend her with what he said next, "My father doesn't believe in giving things away for free."

"My Uncle doesn't intend to take anything without paying for it," Maria responded softly, "We simply can't afford the price your father has asked."

"My father doesn't believe that," Robin said.

"Perhaps a trade would be a better idea," Maria proposed, thoughtfully, "Is there anything that the our village or our family has that your family would want?"

Robin snorted, "Just a few silly things like food and clothing."

"I wondered why you all wear so much leather and dark colors," Maria said.

"We have a lot of deer and cattle; leather and meat are easy to come by in the forest," Robin said, "We're good with meat and leather, but vegetables and spices are another story altogether."

"Perhaps we can trade medicine for our excess vegetables, spices, fabrics, and dyes," Maria smiled at him, "I will mention it to Sir Benjamin."

* * *

The next day Maria went to discuss the matter with her Uncle.

"Maria, you cannot possibly understand the complexities of negotiating an agreement with the Denoir clan," Uncle Benjamin pronounced.

"They have the medication that we need and a lack of the things we have in abundance," Maria insisted, "At least offer Denoir what we have in excess."

"Maria, it is not that simple," Uncle Benjamin told her. The glare Maria gave him could have cut glass, but he still ignored her. She persisted, following him around the manor and even involving Loveday in her quest to make the prideful man see sense.

* * *

Maria went back to Robin's usual perch in the woods in the early afternoon, as she always did on clear days. As a form of apology she brought with her a plate of Marmaduke Scarlet's fantastic gingerbread cookies wrapped up in a large kitchen cloth.

"Robin," she called out, unable to see him. She felt silly when no one answered her. She briefly thought about sneaking into the Denoir castle, as she had done once before, but she couldn't guarantee he would be there either. She wandered the forest for a bit, looking for him where she usually found him (at his traps) and sighed when she came to find that his snare had caught a rabbit. She stared at the poor thing.

"It would be unfair to Robin if I set you loose, and to whoever it is that you're going to feed when he takes you home," she told the poor creature, "though I do feel sorry for you."

"I was beginning to wonder if you knew where our dinner came from," Robin said from behind her. He startled her and she jumped with an embarrassing squeak. He gave a brief, low laugh at her expense.

"What's that?" he asked of her carefully wrapped package.

Maria sighed, "My Uncle is a proud and stubborn man."

"So is my father," Robin replied, with a wry smile, "I take it your conversation with Sir Benjamin went about as well as mine did with my father."

"I brought you gingerbread from Chef Scarlet as an apology. He always leaves them at my bedside in the morning with a glass of milk. I thought you might like some," Maria told him, handing him the wrapped plate.

"I would say that you shouldn't have but these smell amazing," Robin said, "We rarely have gingerbread at home."

"The lack of spices," Maria said, sounding annoyed. Robin sat on a nearby log and unwrapped the plate. He pulled out two cookies, wrapped the plate up again, and handed one of the cookies to Maria. They ate them quietly for a moment.

"The next meeting between the two isn't until next week," Maria said, optimistically, "Maybe we can work on them. Ohhh, this would be so much easier if you and I were the ones in charge."

"I will be take my father's place someday," Robin replied, "But that doesn't help the people that are suffering now. Maybe a taste of gingerbread cookies will sway my father. Besides, you know Loveday will end up charming them both into doing the right thing."

"I hope you're right," Maria replied.


	2. Part Two

Part Two

The ceremony for Loveday and Sir Benjamin's wedding was held the summer that Maria would turn sixteen. It was a short but beautiful ritual, a fairy tale wedding fit for a descendant of the original moon princess.

Among the vines and flowers hanging from the many trellises, Maria took a moment to rest under and gazebo's shade in the garden. She fanned herself for it was summer and it was hot. She wore her best dress and slippers for the event. She had seen Robin but had not had a chance to speak with him, yet. He was smartly dressed and it made her wish she were older that her ten and five years and more beautiful.

"Hiding out, princess?" Robin's voice was unexpected, but not unwelcome. She didn't know why she was surprised, he seemed to be nearly everywhere she was. He handed her a cold glass of lemonade which she took gratefully and gulped down. He grinned at her enthusiasm.

"I was trying to find a shady place," she finally replied, "I don't know how you handle it."

"I'm used to being out and about in all sorts of weather. Now you, you're a princess, a lady, a delicate flower," he said, his voice sing-song near the end. To prove how delicate she wasn't she punched him in the arm. He winced, but he was smiling.

"I'm tempted to sneak back into my room for a few minutes," she told him. Robin turned to look at the front door of the manor.

"How would you sneak through? You'd have to get past the entire wedding party, practically," he said, looking doubtful.

She smiled, "There's a secret cave in the opposite direction, near the edge of the woods. It has a hidden door that leads to a secret door in my bedroom."

Robin looked very surprised and somewhat shocked.

"Do me a favor, Maria," he said, seriously, "Don't tell anyone about that."

She laughed, "Why? You're the only one that was ever in the habit of kidnapping me and I think I've charmed you out of that habit."

"Seriously, Maria, it worries me a little that there is a way to get into your home through the woods," he said, "How did you find out about it?"

"Loveday stayed in the cave. She used to leave me things or come and visit me through the secret entrance," Maria confessed, "It's a perfect hiding place when I need to get away. Even my uncle doesn't know it's there."

Robin finished his drink in one large gulp and did not look at her. He muttered to himself.

"What?" she asked him.

"I said, I wish you hadn't told me that," Robin said, shaking his head. He could already picture himself sneaking into her bedroom in the middle of the night. He'd done that once in London. The trinket she always wore around her neck, kept there by an old blue ribbon, had stopped him in his tracks. He remembered giving her that trinket when she'd been a child. He doubted she remembered it, she certainly didn't recognize him if she did, but it touched his heart that it was important enough to her that she still wore it.

"I heard that your community received a plentiful amount of ginger as a part of the settlement for the medicines," Maria commented, smiling.

Robin's grin was as quick as lightening, "Fancy that."

In the end Sir Benjamin and Sir Couer had worked out a compromise that was amenable to both of them. The villagers that the Merryweather's supported received adequate medicines while the Denoir clan was blessed with the largest amount of vegetable and spices that they had seen in many moons.


	3. Part Three

Part Three

The years passed and the valley grew ever more prosperous. Robin and Maria spent an unorthodox amount of time in the woods together. Technically, a man of three and twenty was only allowed to hold the hand of a young lady (ten and seven) briefly and only for walking over rough spots, unless she was his fiancee. Robin had the advantage over most young men because the wood was rough for walking if a person happened to be wearing a long, fashionable skirt. Maria always dressed beautifully and as a result he often had the chance to hold her hand. When she would pull ahead of him he had to force himself to let her hand slip out of his-and it was always difficult to suppress a sigh when this happened.

Today, as Robin said good bye to Maria and readied himself to watch her walk back into Merryweather Manor he was stopped by a strange smile. She held up a closed fist in front of him, and opened it so her palm faced the sky. He stared at what she was holding out to him in confusion. It was a thimble.

"You deserve this," she told him. He gave her an odd look with one eyebrow raised. She giggled and that sort of joy was infectious but he still didn't reach to take it.

She took his open hand and didn't give him a choice but to accept the token, though he still didn't know what it meant. She turned then and ran for the manor.

"Maria, wait, why do I need a thimble?" he called out. She stopped and turned to answer him.

"It's not a thimble," she shouted, happily.

He looked back at his hand and was absolutely certain that he was, in fact, holding a thimble-he wondered about that girl's sanity some days. Shrugging, he tucked into the pocket where he kept one of the hair ribbons he'd stolen from her.

A week later he realized that she had given him a pocket's worth of thimbles.

"It's just a thimble," he insisted one day, after he'd collected a dozen thimbles from her and she tried to hand him another.

"It's not a thimble," she insisted, smiling at some secret joke as she slipped it into his pocket.

"I don't get it," he told her, honestly. She just giggled, as she always did when he tried to ask. So, he began carrying a hair ribbon and a pocketful of thimbles everywhere he went. This went on for months. He kept a collection of thimbles beneath his bed and it was becoming embarrassing.

Finally, giving up on Maria telling him outright he decided it must be a female thing. He went to Loveday and confided in her that Maria had been giving him thimbles.

"Thimbles?" she asked. At first, she was just as confused as he.

"Yes!" he exclaimed, finally able to share his frustration, "And whenever I ask her she says it's not a thimble. I don't get it."

"Not a thimble," Loveday mused, "I wonder what it is if it isn't a thimble?" He handed her an example of one of the thimbles Maria had given him. She examined it and they shared a glance of similar confusion.

Suddenly, he saw a change in Loveday's face. A smile broke across her mouth, then a sudden a short laugh escaped.

"What?" he asked, throwing his arms wide.

"It's sweet," she murmured, not really for his benefit.

"You know what it is?" he asked, excited.

She smiled and said softly, "Yes, but I think you'll have to do a little research. You may not remember this but when you were small I used to read a story to you. In it a young girl gives a young boy a thimble-but it is** not** a thimble."

He made a noise of pure frustration, staring at his older sister in horror.

"Yes, Robin, you have to read," she responded, and patted his head obnoxiously. He whirled around, throwing his hands up in the air as he walked out. But he headed straight for home and the castle's library.

* * *

He'd had little interaction with the caretaker of the old tomes. He held his hat in his hands, nervously and waited for the man to help him.

"I'm looking for a story but I don't remember the title. My sister used to read it to me when I was young," he said, more quiet for fear someone would hear him than for the sake of the books.

The elderly man smiled, "I think I remember your favorite story as a child, Master Robin. You nearly wore the cover off of it. I've almost thrown it out a dozen times but you loved it so..."

The man sighed and turned to go get the book. Robin tried to be patient but it had been months since Maria had started this thimble habit and he was becoming more and more annoyed that he didn't know what it meant.

Robin was polite to the man and intended to check the book out the way he was supposed to, but after Robin signed his name to the card the old man pushed the card back at him.

"No, you should keep this, Master Robin," he said, "It's meant for you, really."

* * *

"You've been giving him thimbles," Loveday said as she and Maria walked through the garden by themselves. Loveday had wisely decided to have this conversation away from Benjamin.

"Yes," Maria said, meek for the first time since Loveday had met her, "You told me that it was his favorite book as a child. I didn't know what to do when he didn't remember what else a thimble could be."

Loveday smiled, "I left when he was only six, Maria. He was just a little boy; the thimble was not even his favorite part of the story." Maria sighed, her eyes downcast, and the two sat down on a bench together.

"He came to me to ask if I knew what else a thimble could be," Loveday said, and watched Maria turn red with horror. Loveday laughed.

"Don't worry, I haven't told him, yet. But I did tell him where to look to find out. He's probably on his way home to check the library right now," Loveday predicted, accurately. Maria hid her face in her hands. Loveday smiled and rubbed her back.

"I think I liked it better when he didn't understand what it meant," Maria confided.

"Well, he'll know soon," Loveday told her, "So, you should be ready."

Maria turned back to Loveday, "What do I say?"

"Just try listening," Loveday suggested, "See what he says. It could go well."

"I must go to him Loveday," Maria told her quietly.

"Goodbye, Maria. I hope it all goes as you must hope it will," Loveday replied.

Maria picked up her skirt and made her way towards the Robin's woods. She was looking for Robin, determined to face this conversation head on and not be a coward, as she probably had been these past few months. It was strange how much easier it had been to throw herself off of a cliff for the love of her home, her family, even Robin than to simply say these words-to express herself plainly in no uncertain terms.

Robin was perched on his favorite tree branch. He was reading the old story. He remembered it now, the story of the boy who led the lost boys. He'd always identified himself with the leader of the lost boys and it was no wonder. He got as far as Chapter Three.

* * *

_She also said she would give him a kiss if he liked, but Peter did not know what she meant, and he held out his hand expectantly._

_"Surely you know what a kiss is?" she asked, aghast._

_"I shall know when you give it to me," he replied stiffly, and not to hurt his feeling she gave him a thimble._

_"Now," said he, "shall I give you a kiss?" and she replied with a slight primness, "If you please." She made herself rather cheap by inclining her face toward him, but he merely dropped an acorn button into her hand, so she slowly returned her face to where it had been before, and said nicely that she would wear his kiss on the chain around her neck. It was lucky that she did put it on that chain, for it was afterwards to save her life. _

_

* * *

_

Robin leaned his head back as a smile spread broad across his face.

"Robin?" Maria called out.

A black-clad figure dropped out of the tree above and in front of her. He'd been utterly obscured by the leaves and branches. Maria only jumped a little.

"Maria," he murmured, and the way her name slid off of his tongue made her heart feel fluttery, "All this time."

"All this time," he said again, pulling her by her shoulders into his chest. Maria softened against him. He smells of pine trees, leather, and robin feathers, she thought, distantly.

"Maria," Robin said into her hair, "All this time I've been carrying around a pocketful of kisses and you let me think that they were only thimbles."

"I told you they weren't," she said, her voice muffled against his chest, "Loveday told me it was your favorite story when you were a little boy; I thought you would remember what else a thimble might be."

"I wish I had," Robin said, ruefully, "Then I could have given you a pocketful of acorn buttons."

Maria smiled into the leather he wore.

"I would like that," she said.

* * *

It was the summertime, Maria was ten and eight years old and she was officially of the age that Robin could ask her Uncle for permission to court her. He'd been at the Merryweather breakfast table to do exactly that this morning. Maria always dressed beautifully and as a result he often had the chance to hold her hand. When she would pull ahead of him he had to force himself to let her hand slip out of his-and it was always difficult to suppress a sigh when this happened.

Today, when Maria tried to pull away to walk ahead of him Robin did not let go of Maria's hand. Instead, he pulled her abruptly back towards him when she tried to walk ahead of him, pulling her back to him and turning her to face him in one swift movement. Maria stared up at him, startled, and he pressed his mouth to hers. His hand still held hers when he kissed her, suddenly.

It was a jolt for him. She was soft, warm, and smelled like the trees. He had kissed a few girls years before, before he'd met Maria, but this kiss had a certain sort of sweetness about it. Maybe it was Maria or maybe it was because he was finally, truly in love but this kiss was something new and different.

"Finally," they both said at once, and then laughed together.

"I love thimbles," Robin said, "because of you."

"I love acorn buttons because of you," Maria replied, her eyes twinkling merrily, "But I have been waiting anxiously for the day when you could finally give me a real kiss."

"Then let me give you another," Robin said, his lips already against hers again.

And he did, for many years.

* * *

The End

Author's Note: Obviously, that italicized section came from Peter Pan as it was originally written (by James Barrie). I don't know if the fantasy Victorian era of the movie would have had this book already published but I pretended that it did.

To read the chapter where I pulled it from see this link: /barrie/peterpan/3/


End file.
